Logbook

“We had a really good run since yesterday” – it was great to hear Andrew saying this tonight; they are certainly not out of the ‘woods’ yet, but Andrew and Elsi are certainly moving in the right direction, at last.

It has been a really trying two weeks of head winds and little forward movement. Although the log suggested they had covered 93 nm noon to noon, Andrew suggested it is more like 116 nm if plotted on the chart.

The gale which Andrew rode out over the last couple of days have cost him about 4 days headway he reckons.  Even so he is clear he made the correct decision to move North out of the path of the centre of the low and the highest winds.   Elsi never has been able to make any headway against headwinds which means the prevalent North Westerlies restrict Andrew; he cannot steer her in the direction he would ideally choose to go in which is North Westerly!  However, at the moment he is able to take a Westerly course at last with an Easterly wind and for a few hours soon, he will also have the advantage of a Southerly wind.

Andrew pushed Elsi as hard as he ever has last night, keeping sails up as he pressed on North.  He kept the Stay-sail up where he said he really should have lessened the sail area and put up the Storm jib; but he was keen to sail North away from the strong Storm centered just about where he had been this time yesterday.

He now has the sails down, all snugged away ready for the storm which is already building.  He is really hoping he doesn’t drift too far Eastwards back onto his track.  He also is keen to take advantage of rare Easterlies and Southerlies for the 48 hours after the South West storm has blown through.

I mentioned to Andrew he now has his own wee section on the Shetland Libraries website; giving details of the books he has been reading and approximately where he was reading them.  He was highly impressed, flattered and tickled by this.  Its worth having a look at the eclectic selection Andrew has already read, of the 100 or so books he has on board –  ‘Elsi Arrub-reading round the world’ can be seen at www.shetland-library.gov.uk/ElsiArrub.asp  Thanks Karen for doing this.

According to Andrew this evening, “Today was not too bad; from noon yesterday to noon today we traveled 40 nm in the right direction”.

The weather however, Thursday afternoon, is building into some pretty fierce winds just to the south of where Elsi is and so Andrew has decided to turn North to try and avoid the height of the Storm.  It will be just south of their current position (57° 11’S  70° 30’W).  He also hopes to take of advantage of Southerlies backing on Saturday and Sunday.

He has managed to spend some time relaxing and  reading today, thoroughly enjoying “The road to Nab end” by William Woodruff.

Last night the wind didn’t come up as much as Andrew thought it would; he had reefed the sails right down and laid in his bunk for a few hours,  but later thought he could have had more sail up.  In the South Atlantic waters he is sailing in, he feels it is better to be cautious.

Just as we were about to speak about the forecasts for the next few hours and days, Andrew trying to make notes of the wind speed and direction, the wind all of a sudden started to pick up.  The Sat. phone connection was very poor and kept fading in and out,  so we were in the midst of a frustrating non-conversation, me shouting louder and louder from 60° North, as if Andrew at almost 60° South could hear me more clearly, when all of a sudden the phone went down.

While we were disconnected Andrew had to alter the sails to cope with the increasing wind; we were able to speak again for a few minutes, enough time for me to pass on the forecasts, which Andrew was again trying to write down whilst coping with rapidly growing, lumpy seas.  Before we signed off, Andrew asked me to pass on his best regards to the registration Class S6 at Northfield Academy in Aberdeen, who have been following his progress since crossing the equator.

Heading down to 57° South, Andrew is noticing the temperature dropping; not quite as cold as Burra first thing (1.5°); but a fry up of beans and bacon grill at breakfast helped Andrew to ward off the cold in the South Atlantic.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), will mark 100 days since Andrew and Elsi left Falmouth.  Calculating the number of messages sent via the website since he left, the support has been almost 4 messages for every day he has been away, which is incredible and certainly heart warming for Andrew.  He never expected so many people to be keeping track of him and keeping him in their thoughts.  So, thank you to all who have contacted and sent Andrew messages, but also Thank you to all those who we know are thinking of him constantly.

At exactly midday today, Andrew and Elsi were crossing the precise longitude of Cape Horn  (67°S  17’W), that’s an amazing piece of timing!  He said the weather has been “no bad” with seas fairly flat and the wind a bit lighter.  He does feel the difference having eliminated the goose barnacles, not least because the cockpit drains are now emptying much better; but also getting rid of them  has been a comfort psychologically.  Any comfort such as that can make a huge difference when in such a remote and wildly unpredictable place.  Andrew clearly is relieved to be underway again.

The wind at the Horn is fickle to say the least; one minute a near gale, the next sails flogging from lack of any breeze.  Late this evening Andrew was about 25 nm from the Horn, and the slapping of the sails could be heard over the Satellite phone.  I was able to counter his frustration at lack of movement by telling him he had been proposed as Chair of the Althing debating society tonight, at the meeting in Tingwall.  He certainly had not expected me to bring that news, but was pleased, whilst concerned that Florence was stepping down.  He had a good chuckle at the thought that he had been elected whilst experiencing the wilds of the South Atlantic, nearing Cape Horn and we were all cozily anticipating the nights debate, fresh bannocks and home bakes.